1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to interior trim components for a vehicle passenger compartment. More specifically, the invention relates to alignment of cover seams in cover fabric extending over cushioned or uncushioned trim components that have an attached alignment guide for locking the cover to an underlying substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicle trim components for passenger compartments, such as armrests, center consoles, dashboards, and the like, may have a leather or leather-like cover wrapped over and around a cushion layer, referred to as “soft-wrapped,” or attached directly to a rigid substrate, or support structure. The fabric cover may be shaped to match the shape of a cushion or support structure, thereby facilitating the cover attachment process and providing a neat appearance. The cover may include stitching, such as a French stitch or deck stitch, which may correspond to a change in a surface profile, such as a corner.
The cover may be wrapped relatively tightly around and attached to the cushion and substrate. Attachment may be by tacks, staples, adhesives, and the like, generally in areas of the cover that are hidden from view, such as along an inside edge of a substrate. This may result in large areas of the cover in contact with the cushion or substrate but not otherwise attached to the cushion or substrate. Consequently, movement of the cover relative to the cushion or substrate may occur during assembly and use.